CM thanks Islamic Development Bank for helping rebuild houses

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday thanked the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for its support in rebuilding houses for the flood-affected people in the province.

Shah held a meeting at the CM House with an IsDB delegation, led by its Regional Director Dr Walid Abdelwahab, to discuss the Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project (SFEHRP) and the Sindh Integrated Health & Women Empowerment Programme (SIHWEP), both supported by the World Bank.

The IsDB is financing $200 million for the reconstruction of houses for those impacted by floods. Shah said his government, in partnership with international collaborators and NGOs, is actively implementing water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH) projects in various districts to improve public health, particularly in flood-affected and underserved communities.

In response to his request, the IsDB agreed to provide additional support for the WASH projects. He stressed that the SFEHRP and WASH projects have been designed to enable owner-driven, multi-hazard resilient reconstruction of core housing units following the 2022 floods.

Regarding the physical progress of the projects, he said that the first instalment of Rs75,000 has been processed for 155,000 beneficiaries to start reconstructing their houses.

The second instalment of Rs100,000 has been processed for 72,384 beneficiaries, the third instalment of Rs100,000 has been processed for 21,645 beneficiaries and the final instalment of Rs25,000 has been processed for 1,494 beneficiaries, who have completed their houses, he added.

Moreover, the $280 million SIHWEP involves financing of $50 million from the IsDB, $30 million from the provincial government and $200 million from foreign project assistance.

Shah explained that the project aims to enhance the utilisation and quality of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health and nutrition services for poor and vulnerable populations, particularly adolescents and women, in targeted areas of the province.

“The programme will sustainably improve and build the health and economic resilience of communities in the project locations by adopting an integrated approach to address socioeconomic determinants and the impacts of natural disasters and pandemics on vulnerable populations, especially poor women.”

The process to hire a third-party firm to oversee the skill development of 6,000 eligible women has begun in consultation with the IsDB. Under the programme, 124 government dispensaries will be rehabilitated and upgraded, with diagnostic and preliminary design reports already having been completed.

The survey for the rehabilitation and upgrade of a regional training institute has also been conducted, and estimates for the rehabilitation have been shared with the IsDB. As for the rehabilitation and upgrade of six public health schools, it was mentioned that the survey and initial needs assessment reports have been completed, and estimates are under review. Similarly, survey and initial needs assessment reports have been prepared for the rehabilitation and upgrade of nine community midwifery schools.